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Reviews

Chromb! — Cinq
(Dur et Doux DD-069, 2023, CD / LP / DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2024-01-25

Cinq Cover art

Chromb! is one of those bands where the only thing you can predict about them is that they will be unpredictable. Their Cinq album starts out with a tune that sounds like an adaptation of an old-school video game soundtrack with a bit of piano, guitar, and drum kit added in, but it’s the bleepy synth that takes the lead. This is followed by a vocal track backed with a weird pulsating bass that gets interrupted from time to time by odd noises. It builds into a polyphonic vocal arrangement with organ-like backing that works up to a thunderous climax. Later, the video game synth returns, this time combined with a mathy rock rhythm and punchy bass guitar. Other elements join in the fray at various times, like screeching saxophone, industrial-strength fuzz bass, manic distorted vocals, polyrhythmic exercises, white noise, and more. Listeners looking for pretty melodic music will be disappointed — Chromb! doesn’t cater to expectations melodic or otherwise, and their aesthetic is definitely descended from the Mr Bungle school of experimental rock, though infused with French avant-rock rather than American metal. Of course, this kind of wild creativity fits right in with many of the other artists on Dur et Doux, though Chromb! takes it in a different direction, more stylistically scattered. It’s crazy stuff, very rewarding if you’re into this kind of thing.

Filed under: New releases, 2023 releases

Related artist(s): Chromb!

More info
http://chromb.bandcamp.com/album/cinq

 

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